Ugandan scandal: more than 800 people received fake coronavirus vaccines

More than 800 people received one or more dummy vaccines coronavirus in Uganda. The authorities denounced that a network of doctors and nurses “without scruples” applied them between May and June.

Fake vaccines, sometimes mixed with water, were given amid a wave of infections in a country with an average of 1,700 new cases per day. The alleged crooks they aimed to people willing to pay for his bites in Uganda doses were rare, denounced Warren Naamara, supervisor of health services at the presidency.

“Unscrupulous people, with the intention of making money, have deceived the public with fake Covid-19 vaccines,” he added. And he added that “two health workers were detained and a doctor is on the run ”.

// Coronavirus: Uganda quarantines one of Africa’s largest refugee camps

The analyzes showed that the products did not contain any hazardous products And that only there was water in some of them“, said the official, quoted by the news agency AFP. Those involved charged an equivalent between $ 25 and $ 120 per request.

Since the start of the pandemic, Uganda has recorded 91,162 cases and 2,425 deaths, according to the latest count released by the Ministry of Health.

No vaccines

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Africa recorded last week a 43% increase In coronavirus deaths, which finds that hospital admissions are increasing rapidly and countries are facing shortages of oxygen and beds in intensive care units. Deaths jumped to 6,273 last week, from 4,384 reported the week before. Africa is now less than 1% of the weekly peak reached in January, when 6,294 deaths were recorded.

Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia accounted for 83% of the new deaths recorded last week. The rate of lethality continent, which is the proportion of deaths among confirmed cases, currently stands at 2.6% compared to the world average of 2.2%.

Cases increased during eight consecutive weeks, exceeding 6 million. Over the past month, Africa has recorded one million more cases. This is the shortest time it has taken so far to add a million cases. Comparatively, previously it took three months to go from 4 million to 5 million cases.

The increase in cases is occurring in a context of insufficient vaccine supply. Only 18 million people in Africa are fully vaccinated, which is 1.5% of the continent’s population compared to over 50% in some high-income countries. Vaccinated with at least one dose reached 2.95%, a difference of nearly 17 points with Oceania and 23 compared to Asia. Much further from South America (leading 36%), North America and Europe (both 44%).

“The double barrier of vaccine shortages and treatment challenges seriously undermines the effective response to the growing pandemic. However, with new vaccine deliveries expected and strong preventive measures, we can still change course against the virus, ”said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, at a press conference there. a few days ago.